Manny Pacquiao on his fourth bout with Juan Manuel Marquez: "My focus this time is to go for the knockout."
A Saturday press conference is in the works for smack-talkers Adrien Broner and Paulie Malignaggi.
Pacquiao craves 'decisive victory' over Marquez
|
Last week, the legendary Mexican trainer of four-division titlewinner Juan Manuel Marquez, Nacho Beristain, said that Marquez "will be better than ever." Strength coach Angel Hernandez vowed that Marquez would be "bigger, stronger and faster," and Marquez himself said that he will "try to knock out" eight-division titlewinner Manny Pacquiao when they meet for a fourth time at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Dec. 8. But Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 knockouts) offered a retort on Wednesday at the Edison Ballroom in New York's Time Square, where he and Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs) participated in the second stop of a three-city promotional press tour that began in Los Angeles on Monday and will end on Friday in Marquez's hometown of Mexico City. Pacquiao has chosen to face Marquez over a return bout with Tim Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs), whose controversial split decision in June dethroned Pacquiao as the WBO's 147-pound titleholder and ended his 15-bout winning streak that included eight stoppages. Marquez lost by disputed majority decision in November to Pacquiao, with whom he has also battled to a draw and lost by split-decision previously. "I picked Juan Manuel Marquez because it would be an exciting fight. If I chose Bradley it would be another one-sided fight. I don’t think the fans wanted to see me fight Bradly again," said Pacquiao. "In the last fight I took Marquez too lightly because I was the bigger man physically. My focus this time is to go for the knockout. I am a good counter puncher too, but that makes for a boring fight." Marquez, who turned 39 in August, was so angry following the last bout with Pacquiao that he nearly retired. Instead, however, he rebounded with April's unanimous decision over Sergei Fedchenko for the WBO's junior welterweight belt. But Pacquiao claims to be just as eager as Marquez to come away with a clear and definitive result.
"I want to erase the last fight and any doubts in number four. I will focus this time. I have to study and train using new techniques and strategy and apply techniques never used in my previous fights. I will fight and train like the old Manny; the 25-year-old Manny," said Pacquiao. Read more: Beristain: Marquez to be better than ever against Pacquiao Juan Marquez: 'I will try to knock out Manny Pacquiao Q&A Roach: Marquez "hardest style in the world" for Pacquiao Hernandez: Marquez will beat Pacquiao this time
Photo by Ed Diller, Top Rank Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com |